The Big Parallel Trouble Adventure
by COHugh
Summary: Dual! Parallel Trouble Adventure - Big O Crossover. Episode 03 Introduction ONLINE NOW! Kodai City's Major Sanada can be described as cold and unfeeling, but this wasn't always the case. Once her heart beat for a man - A man with a dark secret...
1. Episode 01: Act I

The Big Parallel Trouble Adventure  
Episode 01: "Kazuki the Reluctant Guardian"  
Written By: COHugh  
Concept Created By: Xtor49 and COHugh  
Based Upon Characters From: "Dual! Parallel Trouble Adventure", "The Big O", and their respective owners.  
All rights reserved.

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**Act I**  
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"Kazuki... Kazuki," the voice softly giggled and continued to gently nudge the lethargic lump resting in the middle of the king-sized bed.

The occupant groaned, shifting the sheets over his head, "Whaaaaat?"

The white-haired young woman's cheeks reddened as his eyes glared at her from the protective cocoon. "I'm sorry, Master. I know how much you hate being woken early, but you informed me yesterday that you desired to be aroused early for your job..."

"I see. Very well, give me five more minutes, Yayoi."

Yayoi cleared her throat and nudged the bed once more, "I'm sorry, sir, but you were quite insistent that I wake you at this time." Her tone instantly changed from authoritative to seductive as she added, "I could make waking worth your while... And quite 'arousing'."

Kazuki threw the navy blue sheets onto the floor, kicking off the bed quickly. "That will not be necessary, Ms. Schwael. I am quite awake."

Frowning, she replied softly, "Yes, Sir. I'll go get breakfast ready."

Kazuki stretched, draping his blue satin robe over his shoulders. As he approached the large bay window that overlooked the city, he spread the curtains and squinted as the noontime sunlight assailed him.

_My name is Kazuki Yotsuga. I perform a much-needed job in this city of Ancients..._

Fully garbed in his blue suit, Kazuki approached his small steel-blue sedan, pressing the alarm release that retracted the wheel and window coverings. Fumbling for his keys, he began patting his suit pockets over and over.

Finally, Yayoi poked her head out of the window, shouting, "Kazuki! You forgot these!" She threw the set of keys from the third story window to her master below, adding, "Have a pleasant transaction! Be careful!"

Without looking upward, Kazuki caught the keys with his left hand and tossed them into his right, unlocking the car door in a swift motion. He slid easily into the leather seats and flipped a switch on the dashboard. Instantly, the local police radio signal was played over the car's speakers.

"We have a four-nineteen in progress. Officers Bushnell and Kira, report to..."

Kazuki glanced up at the artifact city that hovered above him, tethered by steel cables and transport tubes so that it would not float away. As the sun peeked out from behind the floating city's round form, he pushed his blue-tinted sunglasses back up the bridge of his nose and returned his gaze toward the road.

_Kodai City, the City of Ancients. For some, it's paradise. For others..._

The street urchins swarmed around the obviously well to do individual in the light blue sedan, offering him any number of goods and services in exchange for any small amount of monetary gain. Frowning slightly, Kazuki attempted to ignore them as the light turned green and he continued on his way. As he looked back in the mirror, he frowned slightly. "Poor fellows..."

_When surrounded by a world seemingly full of inequality, I'm reminded of a quote I once heard, 'There are only two things guaranteed in life: taxes and death'. No one is really certain who said these words so long ago, but if I could meet him, I would add one more item to this list: conflict._

Kazuki entered the gates of the private estate and as he did so, the scenery markedly changed. Flowers bloomed on either side of the driveway and a lush green landscape led up to a large mansion. It was a stark contrast to the dismal cityscape that lay just beyond the holographically projected blue sky.

Kazuki pulled parked his car in the roundabout located in front of the mansion. Straightening his blue suit, he tossed his keys to the approaching butler, motioning back towards his sedan. The butler merely nodded and proceeded to move the vehicle.

Another butler approached Kazuki and asked politely, "How may I help you, sir?"

"A request for my services was made and since half of the generous payment has already cleared my account, I have arrived to render service."

_In times of conflict, some find it necessary to hire an intermediary; a non-partial arbitrator, if you will..._

"My name is Kazuki Yotsuga. I'm a Negotiator."

"Finally! You're here," the overweight man pushed past the butler and approached Kazuki, causing him to back up nervously. "We've been waiting over an hour for you! 'Greatest Negotiator in Kodai' indeed!"

Kazuki bowed his head, "I apologize for the delay. The streets were more... crowded than normal, Mr.?"

The portly fellow snorted before responding, "Ah, I would have assumed that you knew my name. Obviously your information is not as vast as we were told. My name is Mr. Lucas."

"On the contrary, Mr. Lucas. I was quite aware of your name. Negotiations are a formal subject to be handled delicately, however. Much like introductions, wouldn't you agree, Mr. Lucas," Kazuki lowered his head, allowing his eyes to be seen above his blue-tinted sunglasses.

Mr. Lucas began to shudder as his face reddened with anger. Before he could respond, Kazuki held up his hand. "Lectures on manners are not a part of my services, therefore I must ask: Why did you summon me?"

Straightening his tie, Mr. Lucas motioned towards the room at the end of the corridor. Its door was already cracked open and light seeped out into the poorly lit hall. "Follow me, Mr. Negotiator."

The two men proceeded towards their destination, passing many closed doors as they did so. Kazuki glanced from left to right, attempting to ascertain the contents of each room as they passed. One of the doors was slightly ajar and as Kazuki walked by, he thought he saw a woman sitting in the dark. Coming to a complete halt, he eyed the shadow carefully.

"Mr. Negotiator! This way!"

Nodding, Kazuki bowed his head toward the shadow before continuing. Suddenly, he thought he saw a shimmering light from within the same room. Snapping his head back towards its entrance, he scanned the area but saw nothing. Shrugging, he followed Mr. Lucas into the adjacent room.

Kazuki, having removed his sunglasses during their walk down the corridor, squinted as his eyes adjusted to the change in light levels. When he opened his eyes, he saw what appeared to be a large study. Aged volumes lined the shelves of the large room on both the first and second floors. An ornate chandelier hung from the ceiling, its crystalline light creating strange multi-colored patterns around the room. Smaller lamps were placed in the center of the room to draw attention toward the large model before them. As he approached, he recognized it as a model of Lower Kodai City, complete with Mr. Lucas' dome.

"As you can see, this is a scale model of our lovely city," Mr. Lucas waived his hand over the township, fumbling for the laser pointer with his free hand. Finally grasping it between his stubby little fingers, he turned it on and aimed it towards his dome, "This is my current residence. Modest at best, I assure you. I was strolling through my garden the other day when I realized that my estate was a little lacking." Mr. Lucas pressed a button on the table that held the model. Slowly, a larger dome rose from the model's surface, covering some of the slum buildings that surrounded his current dome.

Kazuki instantly realized the problem. "You're wanting to expand your dome, but the 'little folk' are standing in your way and now you want me to convince them to see the light. Am I correct?"

Mr. Lucas nodded. "It is as you say, Mr. Negotiator. Will you take the job?"

Kazuki sighed, slumping down into one of the nearby seats. This was the part he hated the most about his job: Convincing those who had a right to their little piece of this city to give it up. However, he knew that if he did not take the case, more forceful means would be acquired to solve the problem. He rose from the chair, closed his eyes, and nodded his head. "I'll do it."

Mr. Lucas' demeanor brightened slightly. "Good! I'll have all the pertinent information forwarded to your home immediately!" He brought his hand up to shake with Kazuki, "I hope that this will be a fruitful and pros--," the man's insincere comment was interrupted by gunfire. The ground beneath them seemed to shake as the fighting outside continued.

A butler quickly entered the room, his face pale. "S-s-sir! A giant robot has appeared outside the mansion! It's heading this way!"

"What? What the hell are they doing here?"

Kazuki turned towards his client. "They?"

Mr. Lucas shook his head, "It doesn't matter! We have to get out of here! Now!"

Kazuki nodded and began running for the door that they had entered through, Mr. Lucas directly behind him. As they exited the study, a large blast shook the house, causing debris to fall upon Kazuki and Mr. Lucas. A large beam fell on Mr. Lucas, pinning him to the floor.

"It appears they'll go to any length to stop my expansion," Mr. Lucas coughed, a small amount of blood spattering out of his paling lips.

"Hold on! I'll get you some help, just hang on!"

Mr. Lucas' eyes focused in on something just over Kazuki's shoulder. They widened in disbelief as he stuttered, "S-s-sh-she never moved for anyone... I wonder... Why now?"

Kazuki turned his head slowly, keeping his eyes on Mr. Lucas until the last moment. Turning his gaze towards what stood behind him, he quickly sprang to his feet and took a defensive posture. "Who are you?"

The slim young woman's right eye gazed blankly at Kazuki, her green hair covering the left. Her head tilted in a curious fashion, analyzing the new arrival carefully.

"I'll say this again: Who the hel--," Kazuki was interrupted by the woman's movement. She tilted her head in the opposite direction from before, her hair sliding from the position that had covered her left eye. A large open hole with a strange light emanating from it stared back at Kazuki. A shocked expression crossed his face and he took a step back. "What are you?"

"A-Android," Mr. Lucas sputtered, coughing up more blood now than before. "Until this moment, s-she would not move. W-w-we assumed she was damaged. Apparently we were mistaken," Mr. Lucas chuckled softly, his life beginning to ebb away. "S-s-she's yours, Mr. Negotiator. Consider her payment... For my next job: Find... my," Mr. Lucas groaned. His last words inaudible, but their meaning were clear.

Kazuki bowed his head momentarily, making a cross-sign across his chest, "I accept your job, Mr. Lucas." Raising his head from his chest, Kazuki looked at his new assignment. "We have to get out of here! I don't suppose you know of a safe exit, do you?"

"D," the android replied in a cold, monotonous voice.

" 'D'? 'D' what?"

"My name is D. Pleased to meet you," the android curtsied before Kazuki, spreading her skirt slightly.

Kazuki rolled his eyes, "Great! I'm about to die and I'm stuck with a polite android!"

D tilted her head again at Kazuki, replying, " 'Negotiations are a formal subject to be handled delicately, however. Much like introductions, wouldn't you agree, Mr. Lucas?' "

Kazuki rolled his eyes again, "Oh brother!" Sighing, he held his watch up to his lips and stated, "I guess it's up to me to get us out of this mess! Zinv, it's show time!"

The ground beneath the remaining two ambushed parties shook violently as an unknown object forced its way to the surface. D and Kazuki jumped onto the outstretched hand that arose from the floor as the building separated around them. Within seconds, the towering form of a white robot stood in the remains of the mansion.

The artificial sunlight beamed off of the white robot's visage. A single pony-tail-like strand of what appeared to be hair stretched from the top of its head toward the ground. Its golden chest plate remained open, allowing Kazuki and D to hop inside and escape the chaos surrounding them. A red crystal flashed briefly, signifying the closing of the chest plate and activation of the robot's main systems.

Inside, Kazuki began running his fingers over the various buttons and consoles. D moved behind him, watching his every move carefully. The large view screen before them flashed briefly, then text scrolled across it stating, "Do your best, Kazuki-kun! Kisses! - Yayoi."

D tilted her head slightly, "Kisses?"

Rolling his eyes, Kazuki placed his hands on the orbs at either end of the pilot's armrests that had descended from behind his seat. As the words faded from the screen, an exterior image of the surroundings appeared, including a large snake-like robot. "So, that's what's causing all the ruckus. We'll have to teach him some manners, won't we? Zinv, let's go!"

Zinv lifted its legs over the rubble of what was once a gorgeous mansion. Shaking off the remains of a balcony, it approached the attacking robot cautiously. The snake, sensing Zinv's approach, coiled and eyed its new opponent, hissing softly as the steam that obviously powered it poured from its open mouth.

Instantly, the snake sprang towards Zinv. Kazuki flinched, then instinctively brought Zinv's hands up to punch away the snake's head. It flew backwards, slamming into the side of the dome, but quickly recovered. It's body slithered across the ground, destroying the small trees and beautiful flowers that had once lined the driveway to the mansion and causing dirt to fly into the air.

The snake reared back momentarily as Zinv wound up for another punch, then lunged towards the robot and its crew. It wrapped its body around Zinv, slowly constricting its prey. The snake's large mouth opened, steam pouring from its metallic lips. It lowered its head toward Zinv, the Megacore's head and upper-torso entering the snake's mouth. It bit down swiftly, attempting to sink its teeth into Zinv's skin.

Two of its teeth broke off, falling to the ground below. Hissing, the robot tightened its grip and began pouring more steam from its mouth.

Inside, Kazuki wiped the sweat from his forehead as he pondered his next move. Zinv's internal temperature was rising rapidly, but Kazuki knew the robot could survive in temperatures that would far exceed those that this villain was capable of producing. The problem was that Kazuki most likely would not survive the same experience. Pressing his hands against the orbs in his armrests, Kazuki tried vainly to get the robot's arms to move.

D raised her head from the perpetual tilt it seemed to be in and muttered softly, "Father..."

Kazuki glanced over at his passenger, having forgotten momentarily that she was even there. "Yes, it killed your father. And if we don't come up with something, it'll kill us too!"

"F-Father," D stood up off of the cockpit floor she had been sitting on and raised her hand toward the metallic tongue that occupied the view screen.

Suddenly, the snake's grip loosened. Zinv dropped to the ground as it uncoiled around it. The snake brought one eye up to the cockpit, eyeing it carefully. In response, a bright light emanated from D's left eye socket.

"Go. Now," D's monotonous voice almost commanded the robot.

As if it understood, the snake turned and began slithering towards the hole it had created in the dome wall to enter the compound to begin with. Kazuki stared in amazement at the android before him. What type of machine had the coot given him?

Shaking the momentary confusion from his mind, Kazuki placed his hands back on the control orbs. "You're not getting away that easily... Zinv," as Kazuki shouted, Zinv's arms stretched out from its sides.

"Gravity..."

Zinv's left hand grabbed its right wrist. Its right hand fully opened as a large gathering of energy formed at its fingertips.

"SHELL!"

The large energy mass coalesced into a large black ball of energy which was then released from Zinv's right hand. The blast traveled at a blinding speed toward the escaping robot. However, the robot slammed its head into the ground and quickly burrowed beneath the surface, leaving a large track of up heaved dirt and pavement in its wake. The blast struck a portion of the dome, absorbing a large chunk of the glass and metal fragments in a circular pattern.

"Damn it!" Kazuki slammed his fist onto his armrest as he stared at the trail. "We're going to have to go after him! Zinv..."

Kazuki was interrupted by the sound of sirens in the distance. Looking at the dome around them, he began to realize the problems that would arise from all the destruction and a single suspect in the vicinity of said destruction. Letting go of the client for now, he opened the cockpit door and lowered Zinv's body.

As he got out of the pilot's seat, he approached D. Her left eye socket had returned to normal, or as normal as could be expected for such a strange android. Its right eye stared expressionlessly at the track left behind by their foe.

"D, we need to get out now."

The android continued to stare blankly.

Sighing, Kazuki placed his hand on her back and, after considerable effort, pushed her out of the cockpit and onto the ground below. She stumbled briefly before falling into a puddle from the nearby-severed water pipes. Kazuki jumped from his perch as Zinv slammed his foot onto the ground and began sinking beneath the surface from whence he had arrived. Kazuki landed perfectly beside the puddle D currently occupied, not a single speck of dust upon him. D, clumps of mud all in her hair and over her face, looked up at Kazuki and offered him her hand so that he could help her up.

"As if I'm going to do that! Do you have any idea how much this suit costs to dry clean?"

D's cool eye stared at him for a moment before she launched her body with surprising speed out of the puddle and onto the firm ground. "You're a sleaze-ball, Kazuki Yotsuga."

Kazuki smirked, "That's not very lady-like of you, Ms. Lucas."

Their conversation was interrupted by the wail of the approaching police sirens. Numerous armored vehicles spread out across the remains of the formerly domed landscape and armed men began pouring out of all sides.

As Kazuki watched the fiasco, he muttered to himself, "Please don't let her be here, please don't let her be here..."

The sharp voice penetrated his mantra from behind, "I should have known you were here. What happened this time, Kazuki? Did a client get behind in their payments?"

Kazuki removed his sunglasses from his suit coat. He slid the blued-steel frames over his face casually, allowing his eyes to adjust to the blue-filtered light before turning to face his accuser. "Come now, Major Sanada, you know my clients always pay in advance."

The woman that stood before him smirked. "Yes, of course. All of your clients pay in advance... Except for your lady friends. They pay during and afterwards. Isn't that right, Kazuki," as she asked this, Mitsuki Sanada stared at Kazuki's companion whom was still covered in mud.

Noticing the subject of the Major's question, Kazuki responded calmly, "Now, now, Major Sanada, you know that bringing up old wounds that you're still bitter about isn't good for your health. We wouldn't want that lovely face of yours to wrinkle, would we?"

The Major's fiery eyes focused in on Kazuki like two laser beams. A low growl could be heard building up from her mouth.

"Besides Major, this is not a lady friend of mine, or even a lady at all. Its name is D Lucas. Until recently, it was the 'daughter' of my client, Mr. Lucas. His passing wish was that I take care of it. It is nothing more than a client, I assure you."

D, who had been watching Major Sanada closely, curtseyed toward her and stated blandly, "Pleased to meet you."

Mitsuki eyed the android up and down, muttering, "A fine job you did, too." Suddenly, Kazuki's words connected to her thoughts and she spun back towards him, "You mean he's dead?"

Kazuki nodded solemnly.

The Major snarled, "Ugh! Why is it everything you touch falls to ash?"

Kazuki shrugged. "I didn't cause any of the problems to which you are referring. Not between us and certainly," he waived his hands at the surrounding environment to make his point, "not this. Unless you're suggesting, good Major, that I somehow brought a large robot into this dome and ripped the place apart. That would be preposterous, to be certain."

The Major lowered her head, "Yes, it would be... You can't even operate a simple paper-shredder. Who or what did this, then?"

Kazuki shrugged again as he twisted his watch face. "Hell if I know. All we saw was a large snake-like robot. It came, it smashed, and it fled when it heard the sirens in the distance. Perhaps following that large trail might answer your question more properly," Kazuki motioned to the track the snake had left behind as his car pulled up next to him and D. "As for me, dinner is waiting."

"Wait! I'm not done talking to you, Yotsuga! Get back here!" Mitsuki began to chase after Kazuki as he and D climbed into the car.

"Sorry, Major! I have to run! You know how Yayoi can be!" Kazuki waived as he shut the door behind himself and locked it. As he put on his seat belt, he shifted the car into drive and glanced over at his muddy passenger.

"Hmm... I probably should have made you walk. Yayoi is not going to enjoy cleaning that."

"You're still a sleaze-ball, Kazuki Yotsuga."

Kazuki laughed as he swerved around the large craters that obstructed his path out of the dome. He pressed a button on his console and a small monitor on the dashboard lit up, with Yayoi's expectant face plastered dead center.

"Where have you been, Kazuki? I've been worried-sick about you!"

Kazuki rolled his eyes, ignoring her questioning, and stated, "I'll be home soon. Is dinner ready?"

Yayoi nodded. "Yes sir! It shall be on the table and awaiting your arrival!"

"Good. Oh! And Yayoi, please acquire some feminine clothes. We're going to have a guest staying for a while and she's going to require a change of clothing. I'd guess a size," Kazuki eyed D momentarily, running his eyes up and down its body as he judged its measurements. "Incredible workmanship..."

Yayoi's face grew redder as his eyes traversed his unseen occupant's body. "Kazuki! How could you?"

Shaking his head, Kazuki looked back at Yayoi's image. "Well, it's not a very large size, I'll say that. Just have it all ready by the time I get home. You know what color to get. Kazuki out," he terminated the call before Yayoi could argue with him any further.

Kazuki looked back at D again, pondering the question of the moment. "So what size do you wear, D?"

D kept its eye on the road ahead without glancing back at Kazuki. Its cold voice simply responded, "Sleaze-ball."

--

Kazuki swirled the soup in the bowl before him with his spoon, watching the waves it created in its passing. He hated losing to that clearly inferior machine and also having to deal with that woman he once called lover.

"Kazuki-kun, I forgot to mention," Yayoi, who had been hovering behind him since he had returned home, interrupted his train of thought, "That Major Sanada you were so fond of called while you were out; six times, to be exact. I see she's up to her old ways..." Yayoi had never been fond of the Major. Kazuki suspected most of this stemmed from female rivalry, but at times he shared the sentiment.

Kazuki sighed and changed the subject, "How are repairs coming on Zinv?" He finally scooped up a portion of the liquid and brought it to his lips.

"Oh, that's not a good subject... It's going to take at least a week to repair the damages."

Kazuki promptly spat the soup he had just consumed back out over the table. "What? A week? No good!"

"But it will take at least that long in order to repair the damaged internal components, not to mention the armor!"

"No, no, no! You have two days to get Zinv back in working order!"

"But Kazuki-kun..."

"Yayoi!"

Yayoi turned away from Kazuki, placing her apron on the nearby hook. As she stormed off, she muttered, "I don't see why I have to do all the work while that thing just sits there and stares blankly..."

Kazuki raised an eyebrow and glanced across the long dinner table towards his guest. D sat in a new navy blue dress that fit it surprisingly well. Yayoi had probably picked it because she thought it would be so small that their guest would be forced to admit that they were too big to fit in such a sleek outfit. D unknowingly had defeated its first opponent. Kazuki chuckled at this thought as he spooned another portion of his soup into his mouth.

D cocked its head slightly. "What is so amusing?"

Kazuki held his hands up in the air, shaking his head back and forth. "Not a thing, my dear Ms. Lucas."

D's head returned to its normal angle as it brought its teacup up to its lips gently. Once it had placed it back down, it replied, "Who is this 'Ms. Lucas'?"

Kazuki's eyebrow rose yet again as he spooned another portion of his soup. "Why, it's you of course. Mr. Lucas was, after all, your father."

"Not at all," D's monotonous voice contradicted the statement. "Lucas was not my creator."

"Oh? Then who was?"

D remained silent, staring coldly at the occupant of the other side of the table. The silence continued until a loud crash from down the hall followed by Yayoi's inaudible curses pierced the tense atmosphere.

Kazuki sighed, continuing to eat his soup. D, having apparently finished its imaginary tea, rose from the table and walked out of the dining room. Always the inquisitive mind, Kazuki quickly finished his soup and got up from the table as well.

He poked his head around the corner and spotted D as it was entering the large bay area that held Zinv. Wincing, Kazuki anticipated the battle that was about to ensue. He listened carefully to the voices down the hall.

"What are you doing here?"

D's soft voice replied, "You are doing that wrong."

"Oh? And I suppose you have a better way, Ms. Guest?"

D jumped up onto the platform Yayoi was currently occupying, causing it to shake slightly under the increased weight. Slowly at first, it began replacing the wiring that had been severed during Zinv's last fight. Its pace gradually increased until finally D was moving at a blinding speed, ripping out old cables and replacing them with new ones at a rate much faster than humanly possible.

Yayoi's mouth dropped along with Kazuki's, which had snuck up to the door and was watching from a distance. Once completed, D dropped its arms back to its sides, turned toward Yayoi, lifted its head up so that it could look into her eyes, and stated, "See?"

Recovering her composure, Yayoi picked up her toolbox and replied, "There may be a use for you after all. You've just volunteered to help me."

D merely stared at the strange servant as she lowered the platform. Kazuki retreated to his study, chuckling as he pondered whether or not the android knew what it had gotten into.

--

Major Sanada stepped out of the police vehicle as it stopped in front of the transport tube. Quickly climbing inside, she sat in one of the far corner seats. She preferred being in a position such as this so that she could observe all passengers without fear of being attacked from behind.

As the passengers filed in, she noted the items they were carrying. A little girl clung with one hand to her doll as she clutched to her mother with the free one. A businessman pushed his glasses back into place before checking his watch. Once he had located a seat, Mitsuki noticed he was sweating profusely. He opened his briefcase as she stared intently, expecting a bomb.

The man shuffled through the various papers until he had found what he was looking for. Mitsuki sat back in her seat. Sometimes it was a pain being a police officer.

The lift shook momentarily before it began its ascent into Upper Kodai. The cityscape slowly melted away from view, giving way to the gray-infested sky. As they rose, the child pressed her doll against the window along with her face, a gleeful smile across her face.

Mitsuki wondered if her job would ever slow down enough for her to have a child of her own. If it did and the child was a boy, she'd make certain that it turned out nothing like that no-good Kazuki Yotsuga.

The windows darkened quickly as the transport entered Upper Kodai. The large vessel's mechanical systems briefly came into view before giving way into the utopia-like vista of the ancient technology.

The occupants of the city carried on about their business, ignoring the presence of yet another transport. It quickly passed them, their living quarters, the open places of business, the offices, and other assorted passageways and structures on its way to the top level. Another view of internal mechanics and a decrease in light signaled that the lift was approaching the surface.

The bright sunlight flooded into the lift and the countenance of all but one aboard brightened. As it slowed to a halt at the station, everyone's eyes were fixated on the view outside. Rare was the view they were currently seeing. Blue sky surrounded them, with few clouds in view above. Below, the gray mess that they had left behind was a mere afterthought.

After the other occupants had gotten out of their seats and gone about their business, Major Sanada stood up and collected her paperwork. Whereas once Mitsuki would have enjoyed a trip such as this, she now hated these weekly trips into the heavens because of the reports she had to give to her superiors.

As the doors closed behind her, Major Sanada hoped that Ayuko, the ruler of Upper Kodai and thus also the head of law enforcement, would not be in attendance. Nothing ruined her day more than a visit with her...

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**End Act I  
**------------------------------


	2. Episode 01: Act II

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**Act II   
**------------------------------  
  
Kazuki smiled as the beautiful women surrounded him. They exchanged various toasts with each other, clanking their champagne glasses together gently. As he brought more of the inebriating beverage to his lips, Kazuki's thoughts were all but naughty.  
  
A young green-haired woman approached his left side. Kazuki smiled and winked at the young woman before diverting his attention to the lady on his left. Suddenly, the green-haired woman poked his side.  
  
"Hey! What're you doing?"  
  
The woman, a stoic expression on her face, jabbed his ribs once more.  
  
"Knock it off," Kazuki shouted, throwing his sheets over his head. He opened one eye just in time to see the android's finger approaching his ribcage for another jab. He attempted to slap the offensive approaching object away, but his hand merely slammed against it, creating a dull thud sound and an increase in pain.  
  
"What the hell are you doing, R. D Lucas?"  
  
"It is fifteen minutes past noon, Kazuki Yotsuga. You should be awake. Yayoi spent all night repairing Zinv and yet she has prepared your breakfast, which now sits cold."  
  
Kazuki honestly wondered how much of the repairs were actually performed by Yayoi in comparison to D, but suspected he'd never know. Instead of investigating the subject further, Kazuki attempted to wrap himself in the protective cocoon of his sheets.  
  
D grabbed the remaining edge of the sheet and made a motion that seemed quite effortless on its end, but swiftly dumped Kazuki onto his mattress without any cover to hide under. His butt firmly in the air and his face mashed against his bed, Kazuki simply gave D a dazed look.  
  
Yayoi seductively slinked into the room, walking around the large screen Kazuki had installed to prevent the numerous occasions where she would "accidentally" walk into the room while he was changing. As she rounded the corner, she sensuously whispered, "Kazuki... It's time to wake--"  
  
The scene before her interrupted Yayoi's comment. Stammering for a moment, Yayoi collected her thoughts before responding, "What is going on here?"  
  
D glanced up from the bed toward Yayoi, its cold, expressionless face shrouded slightly in shadows by the noontime sun drifting in through the window it had opened behind it. "Kazuki needed to wake up, so I performed the task."  
  
"B-But that's my job," Yayoi insisted, clearing the distance between the screen and Kazuki's bed with surprising speed. "Who asked you do this?"  
  
D's uncovered eye merely blinked as the android remained speechless.  
  
Kazuki groaned softly as he attempted to shift his body into a more dignified position. Rubbing the sleep away from his eyes, he scowled at D. "There are certain rules you must follow if you intend to live here," Kazuki began counting the list on his fingers, having finally regained some feeling in his previously numb hand, "First, do not wake me up early, especially in the fashion that you just did! Second--"  
  
"Noon is not early."  
  
Grumbling, Kazuki turned his attention to young white-haired woman who was still eyeing the android suspiciously, "Yayoi... Yayoi!" The shout brought the lady's attention back to him. "Contact 'him' immediately. Tell him the usual place."  
  
Yayoi, glancing back at the android one last time, replied, "Right away, sir." She slowly turned away from the two and left the room.  
  
Kazuki turned his attention back toward the android, his demeanor slightly improved. "You know, there are much nicer ways to be woken in the morning," a slick smile spread across his face.  
  
D's eye looked back at him, its head remaining at the same angle as before. The monotonous voice merely replied, "You're a sleaze-ball." With that, D left Kazuki's bedroom, his sheets still in its hands.  
  
--  
  
The steel blue car pulled up outside of the seedy bar. Kazuki glanced over at his cybernetic companion through his blue glasses. "Stay here, D."  
  
It simply nodded its head and stared straight ahead out the windshield.  
  
Kazuki casually opened the car door and stepped out onto the street. Pressing a button on his key chain, the car's alarm system activated. He doubted anyone would attempt to harm his vehicle and if they did, over- power D, but it was a precaution that had become a force of habit if nothing else. The car raised off of the pavement as Kazuki rounded the front-end, armor plating surrounding the wheels and windows. He winked at D as its face disappeared from view. His car's transformation complete, Kazuki entered the pub.  
  
As he passed the bar, Kazuki held his hand up to the bartender. The man merely shook his head, setting the bottle on the bar surface and stating, "I'm still cleaning up glass from the last bottle I threw to you, you damned klutz."  
  
"Heh," Kazuki winced slightly as he remembered that fiasco. "Did the old man ever get that bottle cap removed from his..."  
  
The bartender nodded, "Yeah, but the doctor's bill was a nightmare. At least you got him to not sue or this place would be broke."  
  
Kazuki gave the bartender a nod and walked over to his favorite side-booth. It was a quiet area not frequented by the bar's normal clientele. As he flopped down into the seat, the large man next to him addressed Kazuki, "So, I hear that the Lucas estate has a serpent problem."  
  
Kazuki brought the bottle up to his lips, taking a small sip before replying, "Word travels fast, it seems. However, I already know of this problem. I was wondering what other information you could provide me, Mr. R--"  
  
The man slammed his fist onto the table before pointing a finger at Kazuki from behind his newspaper. In an annoyed tone, he whispered his reply, "I told you not to call me that, Mr. Negotiator! You know my name!"  
  
Kazuki's eye peeked from behind his blue sunglasses at the portly fellow next to him. At the angle his head was currently at, the light shining off his head would probably have blinded him. Kazuki chuckled slightly at this thought and added, "My apologies, Big Papa." Why the man had chosen a name that could obviously lead to ridicule, Kazuki could not guess. Despite his dubious taste in names, however, Big Papa was quite resourceful and had saved Kazuki in many tough situations since he had left Shourai Corp.  
  
Clearing his throat, Big Papa continued, "It seems Shourai has lost track of one of their top scientists. Word is, he was working on some black project that is highly confidential. All I can determine is that Shourai wants him back badly. They're willing to do almost anything to this end."  
  
Kazuki sighed, taking another swig of his drink. "Is that all?"  
  
Big Papa chuckled, a small smile spreading across his face. "So impatient, Mr. Negotiator... It seems that the warehouse district has been the scene of some strange events of late. Loud rumblings wake the local... 'residents' late at night. The police have investigated, but turned up nothing. One warehouse in particular has been mentioned by local 'residents'," by 'residents', it was understood that he meant the homeless. It was an unfortunate state to be in, but there was nothing Kazuki could do about it.  
  
The man handed Kazuki a piece of paper with an address. "I wouldn't advise going there myself, but when have you ever listened to my advice?"  
  
Kazuki, finished with his drink, placed the bottle onto the table. He rose from his booth, placing a small wad of cash on the adjacent table. Big Papa quickly scooped it up and counted it just as quickly behind his newspaper. "So much?"  
  
Kazuki smiled. "For the advice, taken or not." He turned, leaving the bar and returning to the vehicle he had left outside. Pressing another button on his key chain, the car lifted once more and the armor plates retracted before the vehicle once again returned to the ground. D continued staring straight out the windshield, completely unfazed.  
  
Kazuki opened the door and slid into the leather seat, smiling at his companion. "Up for a little adventure, D?"  
  
Its head turned to face Kazuki. The emotionless voice simply replied, "Yes. Let's go to the warehouse."  
  
Kazuki's eyes widened. "What? How'd you know about that?"  
  
"I could hear you."  
  
"Through the metal plating, the walls, the noise... All of it?"  
  
D merely nodded. "Yes."  
  
Closing his eyes, Kazuki sighed and slumped back into the seat. "I see. You are a wondrous creation, R. D Lucas."  
  
The cool voice responded, "D, my name is D."  
  
"Right..."  
  
--  
  
A small shaft of light penetrated the darkened steel shelter.  
  
Rats scurried away from the light that had invaded their domain. Sliding in-between the crack in the door and the wall, Kazuki slipped in. He fumbled around in his suit pockets until he discovered the flashlight he was carrying.  
  
"D, what are you doing," he whispered softly. "Get in here."  
  
The android, not one for subtlety, slammed a hand into the door, causing it to fly across the building, the sound echoing through out.  
  
Kazuki spun around and shouted at D, "What the hell are you doing? You completely blew the element of surprise!"  
  
D's eye surveyed the entire building, its head swiveling from left to right. "There is no one present at this time. Therefore, there is no one to surprise."  
  
"How do you know--," Kazuki remembered who he was talking to and sighed. The android was probably right anyway. He turned on the flashlight he was carrying and began walking toward what appeared to be a control room.  
  
As they approached, Kazuki's light dimmed. He slammed it against his free hand numerous times, shaking it between blows. Unfortunately, his efforts were in vain as the light went completely out.  
  
A bright blue light emanating from behind him caused Kazuki to turn around. D was holding back the bangs that normally covered her missing eye, revealing a blue light that illuminated the surroundings.  
  
Kazuki, his eyes fixated on the oddity, asked, "What is that, anyway?"  
  
D, much to Kazuki's surprise, actually replied. "It is my soul."  
  
"Your soul?"  
  
"Yes. My essence."  
  
"And... it glows?"  
  
"Aren't you investigating something," D asked.  
  
Kazuki smirked. It sounded almost annoyed at his persistent line of questioning about her past. Perhaps it wasn't as emotionless as it appeared. He returned his attention back to his work, using D's guiding light to find his way to the control room.  
  
Scattered about the small room were various blueprints and circuitry manuals, empty food cartons, and controls presumably for the large cranes that were above. It appeared that these things had been left in a hurry for they were too important to be left behind normally.  
  
Kazuki unrolled one of the blueprints and recognized it immediately. It was the large snake he had just battled at the Lucas estate. The schematic had various notations on size, power distribution, and shorthand that Kazuki could not make sense of. He rolled them back up and set them aside.  
  
An object caught his attention out of the corner of his eye. He squinted in an attempt to make out the small metallic object to no avail. "D, I need more light over here."  
  
The android obediently turned towards where Kazuki was pointing. The blue light revealed a small table that appeared to have various hygiene products spread across it. Eying them carefully, Kazuki picked up a comb that was lying on the table. "I wish there was a way to turn on the--"  
  
D flipped a switch and the lights in the factory turned on, flooding the bay and exposing various scrap parts. Kazuki, brush still in hand, approached the control room window that looked out over the bay and stared in awe. Whoever was running this operation had serious funding. Judging from just the parts alone, they had more than enough resources to build two or three Zinv-sized robots.  
  
Kazuki brought the brush up to his face and noticed something he could not see earlier. Green strands of hair littered the brush, indicating the color of the owner's hair. He glanced back at D, who was quietly watching him, and asked, "You wouldn't happen to have any relatives in town, would you?"  
  
D cocked her head, uncertain as to what Kazuki was asking. He shrugged, placing the brush down on the control panel before him.  
  
D's head suddenly snapped around. Its eye widened for a mere second before it spun around and scooped up Kazuki in its arms. Caught totally by surprise, Kazuki barely had time to grab the snake robot's blueprints before D had carried him out of the control room.  
  
"D, what the hell is going on here? Put me down!"  
  
The robot did not respond. It only increased its pace toward the door they had entered through.  
  
"D! D!"  
  
"No time for your usual insouciant attitude, Kazuki. Our lives are at stake."  
  
A large blast from what now were the remains of the control room confirmed D's statement. The android's pace quickened as the ceiling above them began to collapse and fire spread, blocking their original entryway.  
  
Halting immediately, D scanned the surroundings for another way out. It jumped leisurely out of the way as a large beam landed in the area it was just occupying. Spotting another exit, D launched itself toward it, Kazuki holding onto her arm tightly. As they approached, both ducked their heads. D slammed its body into the metal door with full force and continued running until it and Kazuki were a safe distance from the building.  
  
Kazuki looked up at D. Its lifeless eye was staring into the flames as they consumed their one chance at discovering who built the snake robot. He turned his head and watched the remaining portions of the ceiling collapse in on the building.  
  
The show over, Kazuki turned back to D. "Do you think you could put me down?"  
  
D immediately removed its arms out from under him, letting him fall into a mud puddle beneath her.  
  
He glared up at D, muttering, "You did that on purpose." Kazuki attempted to brush off his suit to no avail. He looked around for a moment, then offered his hand to D. "The least you could do is help me up."  
  
"As if I'm going to do that. Do you have any idea how much this suit costs to dry clean?" D turned and walked away from the negotiator, leaving him drenched in his own ironic situation.  
  
--  
  
The sirens wailing increased in intensity, informing Kazuki that the Military Police had arrived. He threw the soiled suit into the trunk of his sedan and straightened the tie of his spare that he kept for such emergencies. He knew that they would be coming and there was no reason for him to not be presentable for their arrival.  
  
"Why am I not surprised that you're here," Mitsuki Sanada's warm greeting nearly melted Kazuki's heart. "I suppose you were just in the neighborhood... Feeding the homeless, perhaps?"  
  
Kazuki shook his head. "No, but I am as much in the dark as to what happened here as you. If you'll excuse me, I must be getting home."  
  
Kazuki drowned out the sound of Major Sanada as she shrieked at him to come back and answer her questions. Sitting down in his car, he looked over at D, whom had been waiting patiently for his return.  
  
"Let's go home, D."  
  
"Yes."  
  
Starting the ignition, Kazuki pulled away from the smoldering remains of the warehouse. As he watched the firemen and Military Police side-by-side sifting through the rubble, he couldn't help but wonder what had been going on in that facility and who exactly was behind the Lucas attack. For that matter, what was D and how did it fit in with the Lucas family?  
  
Shrugging, Kazuki thought aloud, "Oh well, no need to worry myself sick."  
  
D cocked its head as it looked at Kazuki. The gesture caught his eye and he turned toward it. "Hmm? What's wrong? Did you wish to express your undying love for me?"  
  
Facing the road again, D commented, "You're a sleaze-ball, Kazuki Yotsuga."  
  
_"A conclusion is simply the place where you got tired of thinking."  
_  
------------------------------   
**Next Episode!   
**------------------------------  
  
Yayoi: "Why does that thing get to ride with you in Zinv and yet I must remain here?  
  
Kazuki: "Who else will make dinner, clean the house, and make repairs? All things you're compensated generously for, must I remind you?"  
  
Yayoi: "... And what are you doing with those sleazy cat-women?"  
  
Kazuki: "I'm a grown man, I don't have to justify myself to you!"  
  
Kazuki and Yayoi: "Next time on The Big Parallel Trouble Adventure: Episode 02, 'Three's A Crowd' "  
  
Yayoi: ::sniffs:: "I know when I'm not wanted!"  
  
Kazuki: ::sighs::  
  
------------------------------   
**Special Thanks **  
------------------------------  
  
Kazuki and the crew over at Dual! Fans (dualfans.host.sk, no "www"), JediGundamZinv, the creators of "Dual! Parallel Trouble Adventure" and "The Big O" respectively, and the Dual!/Big O fan community at large! 


	3. Episode 02: Act I

-----------------------------------------  
**NOTICE**  
-----------------------------------------

Not all episodes of "The Big Parallel Trouble Adventure" are written by COHugh. This episode, for example, was written by Xtor49, a co-creator. When an episode is written by another author, this notice will appear at the top of their entry along with their name being credited at the beginning of the episode. All comments/reviews that their respective episode receives will be forwarded to their e-mail address by COHugh.

Happy Reading!

-----------------------------------------

The Big Parallel Trouble Adventure Episode 02: "Three's a Crowd"  
Written By: Xtor49  
Concept Created By: Xtor49 and COHugh  
Based Upon Characters From: "Dual! Parallel Trouble Adventure", "The Big O", and their respective owners.  
All rights reserved.

------------------------------  
**Act I  
**------------------------------

A loading van drove into an underground parking area somewhere in downtown Kodai City. Three women in white uniforms got out, their faces hidden from the cameras by the white caps they wore. One had red hair, one had brown, and the other was blonde.

They opened the nearby door and walked down the hallway, two of them with a small metal cart. To anyone who might have been watching, it was obvious that the three knew where they were going. Taking multiple twists and turns through the corridors, they arrived at a set of double doors.

The brunette took out an access card and slid it through the electronic lock nest to the door. Next, she typed in a password on the number pad on the lock. A negative buzz went off, and the doors didn't open.

She tried again. The same buzz sounded. The three women started to look nervous.

The one at the lock suddenly giggled, "I was putting in the wrong one! Silly me."

The other two sighed as she typed in the correct code and the door opened.

"Why did we give _her_ the password to remember?" the blonde asked.

"I'm wondering that myself," the redhead retorted.

The trio took their carts inside the room. It was a storage room, full of boxes of various things on many shelves. The three women started placing certain boxes on the carts, often having to work together due to the weight of the contents.

It was as they were just finishing that when an alarm sounded. "I didn't touch anything," the brunette protested, standing next to a box labeled 'Do not touch! Alarm will sound!' in bright red.

The three young women started running down the halls, headed back to their van. Armed guards were hot on their tails, firing their guns at them.

"Wwaaaaahhhaaaahhhhaaaaahh," the brunette shrieked as they ran, pushing the carts in front of them.

"Alice! Run ahead and start the truck," the redhead commanded the brown-haired one. With a surprising burst of speed, and further screaming, the brunette did just that.

"Ryla, we have to slow the guards down! They're catching up," the blonde declared.

The redhead pulled a canister grenade from her pants, using her teeth to remove the pin. She tossed the canister behind her, which released thick tear gas. The guards started vomiting and crying, now too distracted to shoot the thieves.

The blonde and redhead pushed the carts into the back of the truck. "Mena, you drive," the redhead told the blonde.

"Why can't I drive, Ryla?" Alice, the brunette, questioned.

"Because you don't have a driver's license!" the redhead snapped.

The van took off down the street a moment later. After a few blocks, Mena pressed a button on the dash. The white paint on the van changed to a dull yellow. Military police cars drove right past them, searching for a white vehicle.

"Once again, we've done it, girls! Of course, it would've been a lot easier if you hadn't set off the alarm!" Ryla yelled at Alice.

"I told you, I didn't touch anything!" Alice's eyes watered.

"Can we just forget about this? We're okay and that's what matters," Mena suggested, not taking her eyes from the road.

---

Kazuki groaned and stretched as he sat up in his bed. He looked toward his alarm clock, "Aagh! D?! What are you doing in here?"

D's finger was on the snooze button of the alarm clock, and it was standing emotionlessly next to his bed, "Good afternoon, Kazuki Yotsuga."

"Have you been standing there all day?" Kazuki asked. He could have sworn that he'd set the alarm to go off at 10:00 a.m., just loud enough that he'd awaken an hour or two later.

It was now 1:19 p.m.

When D didn't answer, Kazuki sighed and got up out of bed. "Well, you can go now; I'm sure Yayoi's been looking for you."

"She hasn't been," D stated as if she was certain.

"Just get out," the negotiator groaned.

"Very well," the android replied, walking out of the room.

"There's something very strange about that machine," Kazuki thought out loud. He quickly shrugged the matter off and proceeded to get dressed.

"Kazuki-kun, a request for your services has been made by Shourai Corporation," Yayoi stated when he came downstairs.

"The Kodai Syndicate, huh? You know I can't stand working for them," Kazuki scolded.

"I know Master, but I thought you would want to decide on this one yourself, so I told them you would respond at a later date."

Kazuki raised his eyebrows in interest, "What is the job?"

"They want you to negotiate the ransom of one of their kidnapped scientists, a Dr. Kaoru Hayase. I don't know any other details," Yayoi explained.

"A woman... Yes, you were right to check with me first."

"If you are to accept the job, _she _wants to brief you on the details in person," the white-haired woman warned.

_Yayoi could only mean one person. Ayuko Rara, President of the Kodai Syndicate and therefore owner of Kodai City. There aren't many people in this world that I can't stand more than that female. I hesitate to use the word 'woman', because as far as I'm concerned, she's not human..._

"... Fine. Call Shourai Corp. and tell them I'm on my way," Kazuki muttered.

---

Kazuki rode the elevator up to Ayuko's Lower Kodai office, a room that could easily double as an amphitheater, atop the largest building in Lower Kodai. In the back was a large garden full of plants, many incredibly rare. There appeared to be a few rooms branching off of the main office, as well.

Two guards stood at either side of the elevator entrance. Behind a curved white desk in the center of the room sat Ayuko Rara, in a strange magenta dress with sea-green border.

"Mr. Yotsuga, how nice to see you again. Please sit down," Ayuko gestured to one of the chairs in front of her desk. Her voice was warm enough, but her face had a permanent look of extreme superiority.

Kazuki was tempted to remain standing, but sat down anyway. "Ms. Rara, how about we get right down to business?"

"Does my presence cause you that much discomfort, Mr. Yotsuga?" she made an evil inquisitive smirk as she probed his frank response.

"Yes."

The smirk widened, "Very well. As you know, a scientist under employment of Shourai Corp. was kidnapped and is now being held for ransom. Her name is Kaoru Hayase and her research is vital to me."

Her use of the word 'me' was not lost on Kazuki.

"Over the past few months, a trio of bandits has raided various technology labs that the Kodai Syndicate holds 'interests' in. We have attempted to capture them, with little success. A couple of weeks ago, along with various pieces of machinery, they stole one of our head researchers, Dr. Hayase. Now, they want to ransom her back to us. Your job is simply to conduct the exchange, and make sure it takes place as planned. I don't want them taking the money and keeping the good doctor."

"I'll need to know when and where the exchange is to be made," Kazuki said.

"Of course. My secretary shall give you the necessary information." Ayuko pressed a button on her desk, "Ms. Casey, bring Mr. Yotsuga the file and briefcase."

From a room to Kazuki's left came a woman in a pink business suit, a pair of small glasses resting on her nose. She had light brown hair that fell nearly to her waist and a general appearance that Kazuki thought was very familiar.

"Mr. Yotsuga," Ms. Casey handed him a manila envelope and a black briefcase. Her voice was soft and quiet, like a shy child's.

"How long have you worked here?" he asked curiously.

"A few weeks," Ms. Casey responded.

'She looks an awful lot like Sanada,' Kazuki thought. 'Her eyes and hair are lighter brown, voice's different along with her attitude... I guess that old line about everyone having a twin in the world is true.'

Kazuki stood up, stating, "I'll be going now," and headed for the elevator.

"Always a pleasure doing business with you, Mr. Yotsuga," Ayuko's false smile returned with a vengeance as the elevator doors began to close.

"So, Ms. Casey, what do you think of him?" the older woman wondered.

"I'm not sure. He's good at his job, I'd say from his file. I'm not sure about the way he looked at me, as if I was the last person he expected to see. Other than that, the only thing else I can say is he's an excellent judge of character," Ms. Casey answered.

Ayuko laughed, "That's what I like about you, dear; you tell me exactly what I ask for, even if it might insult me. But you forgot physically."

Ms. Casey's head fell for a moment in embarrassment, rising again before she spoke, "He's...attractive."

Meanwhile, in the elevator, Kazuki looked at the file. 'The swap isn't until late tomorrow. The briefcase holds $10 million. I would've expected it to be more given that Dr. Hayase is so important to Kodai.'

The elevator came to a halt at the main lobby. Kazuki closed the file, stepping out. 'Perhaps they have no intention of returning the good doctor. Or there's something that_ female_ isn't telling me. Maybe I'll get lucky and the kidnappers are just ignorant of her true value.'

He walked out the main entrance, 'Nothing in the file says just what she does at Kodai Corp. Her research is a complete mystery... I think I had better go see an old friend...'

'I still find that moniker of his ridiculous...' the negotiator got into his car, started it up, and drove off, 'But his information is worth it.'

---

Yayoi rode the platform in the storage area in Kazuki's mansion down to Zinv's cockpit for her daily check-over of its systems. She twirled her pencil in her right hand, a checklist on a clipboard in her left hand.

To her surprise, D was sitting inside the white Megacore's cockpit. The android made no movements, simply sat upright with its hands on the life sympathy orbs with the cockpit door open.

"D, what are you doing?" Yayoi asked rhetorically.

"I am talking to Zinv," D answered.

Yayoi wasn't sure how to respond. "...Well... Get out of there!"

After a moment, D rose and climbed out onto the walkway. The life sympathy orbs flashed dimly a couple of times as it exited the cockpit.

Yayoi climbed in, "Go... Do something productive!"

D went over to the elevator and rode it back up to the main floor.

The gray-haired woman looked down at the life sympathy orbs where the pilot's hands rested, 'Did I really see these light up when that thing touched them? They never did that for me...Kazuki makes them glow like light bulbs...'

'Does that mean D could pilot Zinv? I don't like the idea of an android controlling a Megacore. I better keep an eye on it when it's in here.'

"And what did it mean, 'Talking to Zinv'? Its lips weren't moving and it's not as if it can talk back," Yayoi thought out loud.

She decided to push it from her mind and focus on the task at hand, "Okay, big guy; time for your daily systems check."

---

Kazuki drove up to the establishment known as the Speak Easy Bar. Parking his car outside, he activated the security system. As the armored plating surrounded the vehicle's various vulnerable points, Kazuki stepped into the bar.

"What'll it be," the bartender queried.

"Scotch, on the rocks," Kazuki walked over to pick up the drink, leaving a few dollar bills on the bar.

He sat down at one of the booths along the far wall, next to a booth occupied by a well-tanned overweight bald man with hearing aids and a small moustache. The man was reading the newspaper, as always. Kazuki set the scotch down on the table next to the large man, pushing it towards him.

_His ears are fine. The hearing aids are for eavesdropping, a pastime of his._

"Hello, Negotiator," the man took the scotch and sipped at it behind his newspaper.

"Big Papa. What do you know about a Kodai Corp. scientist by the name of Kaoru Hayase," Kazuki asked.

"Hayase, eh? The one that was kidnapped recently? She's around 30 years old. Kinda cute, in her own way. Word is that her kidnappers were three women, about the same age. They've been stealing what many think is just random technology."

"But it's not, is it?"

Big Papa took another sip, "Nope. Hayase is one of Shourai Corp.'s head scientists in the study of those giant robots, the Megacores. The parts those three have been stealing could easily be used to repair a Megacore, if not start building one from scratch. However, no one has been able to create a functioning Megacore from scratch yet, not even Dr. Hayase."

"I see."

"The thieves also had the necessary pass codes, knowledge of the inside of the buildings, knew when the shift changes were, and other signs that point to either one of two things," the older man added.

Kazuki frowned slightly. "They had really done their homework and had been planning this for quite some time or they had inside help."

"And given that some of the pass codes change daily, some machines take retina scans, even DNA tests on a few of the things," Big Papa glanced at the young man.

"The latter is far more likely," Kazuki muttered.

_My job wasn't to find the thieves or to investigate the thefts; it was to make sure Dr. Hayase was returned to the Kodai Syndicate after the exchange. I like to be in the know, however, and if the trade goes south it will become my job..._

_I just hope it doesn't come to that._

He took a stuffed envelope out of his coat's inner pocket, sliding it over to the large man, "Thanks."

"Anytime, Negotiator," the well-informed man calmly stuck the envelope inside his shirt as the younger man left.

------------------------------  
**End Act I**  
------------------------------


	4. Episode 02: Act II

**Act II  
**----------------

At about 12:49 p.m. the next day, Yayoi came into Kazuki's room. "Kazuki-kun, are you up yet?"

D was standing next to his bed, finger pressed down lightly on the snooze button of his alarm clock. Kazuki was invisible under the covers of his bed, sound asleep.

"What do you think you're doing," Yayoi shouted at the one-eyed android angrily. Her face flushed with embarrassment as Kazuki stirred awake.

"What's... going on," Kazuki's head came up from under the covers with a dazed expression.

He saw D next to him. "Did you shut off my alarm again, D?" Kazuki groaned.

"Good morning, Kazuki," it said.

"Ugh. It'd be a 'good morning' if you'd left my alarm alone." Kazuki sat up.

"If you'd like, I could be your alarm from now on. I'm sure I could wake you up _very_ gently, Kazuki-kun," Yayoi spoke in a seductive tone with a matching smirk.

"Uh, I don't think that will be necessary, Yayoi," Kazuki quickly replied.

The tall woman sighed, her smile now friendlier.

"Can a guy get dressed in private, please," Kazuki requested.

"You sure you wouldn't like some help," Yayoi's smirk changed back as D casually walked on out.

"Positive, Ms. Schwael," Kazuki answered firmly.

Yayoi bowed slightly and left. She knew that when he used her last name, it was time to just do as he said.

Kazuki exhaled, "I need to have a chat with that machine later..."

At 7:00 p.m., Kazuki parked his car outside the arranged place for the exchange. He got out of the car, the briefcase containing $10 million in his hand. He stood in back of the old city hall outside the domes, seeing that the back door was wide open. Cautiously, the young man walked inside, pulling a flashlight from his inner coat pocket.

As he stepped through the doorway, a blinding spotlight shone in his face. Kazuki halted, turning off his flashlight and protecting his eyes from the beam.

He could see a silhouette standing in the light, apparently a woman. She turned her head to the side, "What do I say again, Ryla?"

Another woman Kazuki couldn't see growled sharply, "How could you forget?! And don't use my name!"

Ryla then addressed the negotiator, "Open the case!"

Kazuki did so, showing the contents. "Look's good. It's in there," another woman out of view assured.

"Ryla, I feel kind of stupid just standing here," the woman in the light complained.

"Then move! You were the one who insisted on doing this, Alice," Ryla snapped.

"I thought you said don't use names," Alice questioned innocently.

"Get out of the light!" Ryla ordered angrily. Alice jumped out of sight in fright.

Kazuki sighed before asking, "Where's Dr. Hayase?"

"To your left," Ryla stated. A different spotlight lit, shining on an unconscious woman tied to a chair across the room from him. "Now give us the case."

Kazuki made as if to throw it to them. "No! Alice, go take it from him," Ryla commanded.

Kazuki frowned. 'Why is she so worried about me throwing it? Money isn't going to get damaged in a fall.'

"Me?" the other woman checked.

"You're the only Alice here," Ryla's voice was full of annoyance.

"I thought you said not to use nam-," Alice began.

"Just do it," Ryla roared.

Alice ran over, halting a few yards away. She then moved with very timid steps, hands outstretched. Kazuki still couldn't see her face, due to the spotlight. He handed her the case and she ran back over to the others.

"Alright girls, we're done here. Go ahead, Mr. Negotiator," Ryla stated, the spotlights turning off. Kazuki could hear the three women running off.

Kazuki moved over to the woman in the chair. He shined the flashlight in her face and checked her pulse. 'It's definitely Dr. Hayase, and alive. Her sleeve is rolled up, showing a needle mark. She's been tranquilized, and probably won't wake up any time soon. Guess I'll have to carry her.'

Kazuki untied the ropes and slung her over his shoulder, slowly carrying her back to the car, "Ugf! Doctor, you are heavier than you look."

After opening the door, he set her down in the back seat with a grunt of relief. Next he moved the center seat belt to secure her waist, so she wouldn't fall off the seat while he drove.

The negotiator got in the driver's seat and started the car, 'What else was in that briefcase?'

Dr. Hayase awoke in a large living room on a comfortable couch. She sat right up with a gasp when she saw a girl with bright green hair staring at her from across the coffee table next to the couch.

The green-haired girl walked out without saying a word, leaving a very confused scientist. Moments later, in came a man in a blue business suit. "Dr. Hayase, my name is Kazuki Yotsuga. I am a negotiator who was hired to conduct your ransom exchange," he said.

Her eyes widened, "You didn't give them it, did you? The Omnus Processor Chip?"

'A computer chip... That must be why they didn't want me to throw the briefcase; the chip was hidden under the money. But why wasn't I told about it?'

"... What is this chip you speak of," Kazuki wondered.

"It's one of the things I've been working on. Very top secret. It's all those three needed to finish it. There'll be no way to stop them now," Dr. Hayase replied, an almost hysterical look in her eyes.

"Finish what," Kazuki asked.

"An abomination! I can't believe I helped create it! A Megacore unlike any other! Three times the destructive power of any Megacore we've ever seen! It-," Dr. Hayase fainted, her body too excited and under the recent influence of tranquilizers.

Just then, Kazuki's phone rang.

"Normally, I'd let Yayoi answer it, but I have a very good idea who it is," Kazuki muttered to himself, walking toward the phone.

Kazuki picked up the receiver. He recognized the voice of Ms. Casey, "Hello, Mr. Yotsuga. Ms. Rara wants you to bring Dr. Hayase back to Shourai Corp.'s headquarters immediately, where you shall receive the second half of your payment. Thank you." She promptly hung up.

Kazuki's knuckles clenched white around the phone before hanging up, "I hate that female."

Dr. Hayase awoke in the car, "Where am I?"

"In my car. I'm taking you back to Shourai Corp. HQ," Kazuki told her.

She held her head as if in pain, "Ugh... What happened? Last thing I remember, I was in my lab..."

"You don't remember being kidnapped?" Kazuki was surprised.

"Kidnapped?! No! I... I don't remember anything... What day is it?" she queried.

"July 23rd," he stated.

"Two weeks..." the scientist trailed off.

"They must've wiped your memory somehow with that injection. You had mentioned something about an 'Omnus Processor Chip', and that you had been forced to work on a Megacore," Kazuki reminded her.

"I don't remember..." Dr. Hayase mumbled.

"What does the chip do, exactly?" Kazuki asked.

"... It's used to make human technology compatible with ancient technology. It's still in testing, but it works under most circumstances. We've hadn't tested it on a Neo-Megacore yet; that was to be done next month," she remarked.

"Is there any way to detect this chip?" the negotiator checked.

"The chip is slightly radioactive. Harmless to humans in small doses, but that radiation is easily detectable. Unless they have fixed that in my absence," she answered.

'They must've detected the chip inside the case with some sort of device,' Kazuki thought. 'I wasn't told about the chip because it was radioactive. I REALLY hate that female.'

"Uh...how large of a dose of the radiation is safe?" he asked, slightly worried.

"Around five and a half hours over a two-day period. Less than five hours never showed any symptoms of radiation poisoning," she explained.

"That's good to know. I only had it for two," Kazuki was relieved.

"You had the chip?" Dr. Hayase was surprised.

"It was part of your ransom. I didn't know until afterward," he told her.

"You should know...you might have some minor side-effects..." she began.

"How minor?" he wondered.

"Heartburn, nausea, upset stomach, diarrhea, cramps, blackouts, fatigue, reduced resistance to sickness, rash, cough up blood..." Dr. Hayase listed.

Kazuki cut her off, "Okay, stop! I don't want to know."

"Side effects occur in less than 7% of those tested," she added.

"Well, that's something, I guess..." he sighed.

Moments later, Kazuki pulled up in front of the entrance to Shourai Corp. Headquarters. "Your employer is waiting for us."

As they walked inside, two guards approached. One said, "Mr. Yotsuga, Dr. Hayase. Come with us." The guards took them to the private elevator, one that went directly to Ayuko Rara's office.

"... I suppose I should thank you," Dr. Hayase muttered.

"Just doing my job," Kazuki waved his hand in protest.

As the doors of the elevator opened, Kazuki and the scientist stepped out. Ms. Casey approached them. "Dr. Hayase, Ms. Rara would like to see you immediately. Mr. Yotsuga, here is your check," the woman smiled softly as she handed Kazuki his payment.

Kazuki took the slip of paper. "Thank you," Kazuki stated and went right back to the elevator's doors.

He glanced over his shoulder back at Ms. Casey. 'She looks so much like Mitsuki... Her chest is a little larger, though. Heh! Sanada would hate to find that one out!'

Mere moments after Kazuki had begun driving home, a very loud crash came from behind him. He looked in the rear-view mirror to see the head of a Megacore over the tops of nearby buildings. It was headed straight for Shourai Corp. HQ, smashing anything that got in the way.

Yayoi's face came on the car's viewscreen, "Kazuki-kun, a strange robot is attacking the city."

"A little late to be making that announcement, Yayoi. Is Zinv ready?" Kazuki checked.

"Of course," she nodded.

Kazuki parked off on the shoulder of the road and got out in a hurry. He ran back towards the mecha, yelling into his watch, "Zinv! Action!" The white Megacore's hand soon burst through the ground and Kazuki leaped into the open cockpit.

As the computers turned on, the screen read, 'I'm making your favorite tonight, so don't take too long or it'll get cold. -Yayoi'

"You heard the lady, Zinv. I've got curry waiting for me, so let's get this over with," Kazuki declared.

The Military Police pulled up behind Zinv with their tanks and jeeps. Major Sanada stood up in her jeep, spotting Kazuki's car. "Of course _he'd_ be involved in this somehow," she turned around to face her troops, a megaphone in hand. "Everyone back off! Be prepared to fire, but wait for my order!"

Zinv stood in the massive parking lot around Shourai Corp. Headquarters, empty except for a few cars and the skyscraper in the middle.

The enemy Megacore smashed through one last building, and as the dust settled, Kazuki could see it in its entirety.

"So, that's what she meant by an abomination," Kazuki mused.

The giant robot was actually three put together. Six legs, worked like an ant's to propel the mech forward. The three bodies were fused together, back to back, with a rotational base. One body had two giant wrecking balls on the end of each of its tentacle arms, another had some kind of energy rifle welded to each arm, and the third held a giant red-hot sword in its hands. All three worked simultaneously.

"Looks like we've got someone to play with, girls," Ryla playfully commented while piloting the sword wielder. "Ready?"

"Ready!" Mena was in the wrecking ball mech.

"Ready!" Alice drove the mech with the energy rifles.

The rotational base turned so that Ryla and Alice could face Zinv, while Mena was looking away from him. She could still see him on her screen, using the cameras on the other two.

Alice fired at Zinv. Kazuki moved the mech's arms up to a defensive posture. 'Shourai Corp. is right behind me. If I move, it'll be blasted.'

The blasts had little effect on Zinv, who charged at the Trio. Mena's wrecking balls slammed into him hard, knocking Zinv to the ground. All six of the Trio's legs flexed, and it jumped in the air. The base turned so Ryla was in front, her sword poised to slice into Zinv.

"Gravity shell, now!" Kazuki shouted, pointing Zinv's right arm at the strange Megacore fusion. The bright blue ball shot out and crashed into them. The Trio fell onto it's back, Ryla's mech body badly damaged, along with the two front legs.

"Are you alright, Ryla," Alice screamed.

"I'm fine, but my circuits aren't working very well," Ryla assured her.

"I'll get us back up," Mena pushed the Trio upright with her arms.

Zinv was also standing up at this point. "Blast! It's still moving," Kazuki exclaimed.

"Alice, increase the power of your shots. Mena, see if you can hold him still. I'll slice him in two, then," Ryla commanded.

"Got it," Mena and Alice replied in unison.

In Zinv's cockpit, Kazuki used the scanners on the enemy Megacore. "Unusual radiation detected in that rotational base. That must be where the Omnus Chip is. If I can take that thing out, then this freak will be disabled."

Once again, Zinv charged at the Trio and, again, the wrecking balls came right at him. "Not this time," Kazuki declared. Zinv caught the tentacles in his hands at the base of the wrecking balls. Mena's arms started retracting, pulling Zinv in closer to Ryla's searing blade. The tentacles suddenly stopped as they were crushed as Zinv used his gravity powers, making them appear as if they were withering. Ryla's swing of her sword was just out of reach.

Zinv moved in with lightning speed, wresting the weapon away from Ryla's damaged arms and stabbing it into the rotational base. The radiation signal ceased, as did all function within the enemy Megacore.

Three escape pods shot off out of the backs of the three bodies of the Trio, flying off through the glass dome, under the saucer of Upper Kodai, and away.

"Follow those pods," Major Sanada ordered her men, sitting back down in her jeep. The Military Police started driving away.

"Now then, I've got curry to eat back home!" Kazuki rubbed his hands together excitedly.

Zinv fell through the hole it had made upon arrival, returning to Kazuki's mansion. The negotiator himself got out of the cockpit as it became level with the ground, returning to his car.

"Kazuki!" Major Sanada yelled, spotting him just as he reached the vehicle.

Kazuki turned around as he deactivated the car's security system, "Yes, Major?"

"What are _you_ doing here?!" she interrogated.

"Just finishing up a job. You can ask the receptionist," he replied.

"Since when do you work for Shourai?" the Major asked.

"I don't. I was merely employed temporarily to negotiate an exchange. You can ask them about the details, but I, Major, have a large bowl of curry with my name on it back home. Excuse me," Kazuki got in the front seat of his car.

Major Sanada pounded on the roof, "I'm not done with you yet, Kazuki!"

He ignored her, driving away, 'Mmmmm...I can taste it now.'

Hands on her hips, the young woman angrily watched him go. As the automobile disappeared from sight, a slight smile came to her lips as she quietly said, "You always did like curry a little too much, Kazuki. One day, you're going to turn orange."

In a darkly lit room somewhere in the slums of Lower Kodai City, three women stood under the dim light bulb in the center. They looked at their feet in shame.

In the shadows of the room stood another woman. Her outline showed that her hair was set back to her right and folded up and in upon itself, with a large strand on her left that hung in front of her face. She also had a cape to her hips and a tight outfit.

"You incompetent fools! How could the three of you lose to one Megacore?! After all my planning! I got you everything! The passwords, the equipment, even the scientist!" the fourth woman scolded.

"We'll do better next time. We promise," Ryla said.

"You had better. You know how much I don't like to be disappointed," the caped woman's voice was threatening.

Kazuki awoke the next day and checked his clock with sleepy eyes. It was 1:14 p.m. and a certain green-haired machine stared at him with its one purple eye.

"Good afternoon, Kazuki."

"D, I thought I told you not to touch my alarm clock anymore," he groaned.

"I didn't," D stated emotionlessly.

Kazuki looked again, seeing the pencil she was using to hold the snooze button down. "Using another object to touch it counts."

"Understood," it replied.

_Somehow, I don't think it does understand._

Kazuki sighed, "Now, out of my room."

D left as ordered.

"That thing is really starting to bug me," Kazuki grumbled.

_**Three heads aren't always better than one.**_

----------------  
**Next Episode!  
**---------------- 

Major Sanada: "There comes a time in a relationship where one must take a step back and determine whether they're with the right person or not."

Kazuki: "What are you trying to say, Mitsuki?"

Major Sanada: "Kazuki, what's behind that door? What is Yayoi working on so late at night?"

Kazuki: "What does it matter?"

Major Sanada & Kazuki: "Next time on 'The Big Parallel Trouble Adventure': Something Old..."

Major Sanada: "It's either me or the door, Kazuki. Which will it be?"


	5. Episode 03 Introduction

The Big Parallel Trouble Adventure  
Episode 03: "Something Old..."  
Written By: COHugh  
Concept Created By: Xtor49 and COHugh  
Based Upon Characters From: "Dual! Parallel Trouble Adventure", "The Big O", and their respective owners.  
All rights reserved.

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Act I  
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_Kodai: The city that never sleeps. Whenever you confine a large number of insomniacs into one location you end up with one thing: Trouble, especially if and when you run out of coffee. That's where I come in. _

_Am I a coffee house clerk? No, but I do dispense something equally sobering..._

_My name? Major Mitsuki Sanada, Kodai Military Defense Force. My beloved force and I protect this city, no matter how ungrateful its citizens may be at times. From criminal masterminds to two-bit thugs, we uncover their evil schemes and deliver them up to the justice they so rightly deserve. You would think that the city's residents would adore us as protectors of the weak, the common man as it were, but the citizens have a new hero now in the form of a white monstrosity:_

_I'm of course speaking of the white Megacore._

_I suppose 'monstrosity' is too harsh a term. In fact, it has saved this city on more than one occasion. No, my animosity isn't directed solely at that machine, despite the massive property damage it causes with every appearance..._

_It's that damned Negotiator._

_Everywhere that Megacore surfaces, Kazuki Yotsuga is not far behind. I know the two are connected in some form or another, but how? It's not like the man can handle heavy machinery; he has Yayoi for that. He'd be unable to pilot it, I'm certain. Perhaps he's hiding it in that slum mansion of his? Or maybe he knows the pilot?_

_Some might claim that this obsessive interest borders on paranoia, but they don't know the man like I do. He's a sleazy, slovenly, unkempt, rude, good-for-nothing man-child that would do the city a big favor by drowning in his own sea of ego._

_How do I know this?_

_I was engaged to the man, after all..._

---------------------------  
End Introduction  
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End file.
